Apparatus for cleaning metal articles and the like by liquid dip agitation



June l, 1948. M. c. Boss 2,442,675

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING METAL ARTICLES AND THE LIKE BY LIQUID DI? AGITATION Filed Nov. 3, 1945 "QV ORNEYS Patented June l, 1948 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING METAL AR- TICLES AND THE LIKE BYv LIQUID DIP` AGITATION Marcel C. Boss, Westfield, N. J., assignor to Mabor Company, Inc., Clark Township, N. J., a corporation of New `lersey Application November 3, 1945, Serial No. 626,530

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning metal articles and parts by dipping them in cleaning liquids. As such apparatus is usually operated, the articles -are placed in baskets or analogous containers which are repeatedly lowered and raised. in the cleaning liquid tank to agitate the liquid and expose the surfaces of the articles or parts to a thorough and complete contact with the liquid, after which the baskets or the like are removed and emptied. The cycle may include successive dipping operations in cleaning liquids, followed by successive dipping operations in rinsing liquids.

An object of my present invention is to enable the dipping operation to be performed with less expenditure of mechanical effort. In general, I accomplish this object by approximately counterbalancing the weight of the load being handled. According to my invention, the load is at least in part counterbalanced by a lever connection from the load and the motor by which the load is being lifted, whereby the operating motor is always relieved from the duty of lifting the dead weight of the load.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of a dip-agitating machine in which the load is at least in part counterbalanced by the weight of the motor.

Figur-e 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a part of the lever connections between the load and the actuating motor.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the cleaning tank III is mounted on casters II and contains a body of cleaning liquid or rinsing liquid I2 into which a basket I3, hung on rock arms I4, is dipped. The rock arms I4 are preferably two in number and are rmly secured in spaced-apart relation on the rock shaft I5. A transverse rod or bar I6 is laid across their free ends in suitable notches or recesses I'I to carry the bails I3 of the basket I3. The rock shaft I is journalled in recesses 9, 9 in the side walls of the tank IIB through which the rock shaft extends to receive a second pair of lever arms I9 which are xedly secured on the rock shaft so as to remain in xed angular relation to the pair of rock arms I4. This pair of lever arms I9 are inwardly offset or bent at 2U to pass through their clearance apertures 2I in the side walls of a motor casing 22 which may be xed on the adjoining wall of the tank I0, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. These lever arms I9 are bent rearwardly from their offset portions 20 to be rigidly connected with a U-shaped cradle strap or plate 23 on which an electric motor 24 is securely mounted. The motor is thus supported by the lever arms I9. Electrical connections are made to the motor through exible conductors 25 from the power fine 26.

The electric motor 24 operates, through any Lpproved speed reduction gearing 21, a crank shaft 2S which extends through an aperture in the cradle plate 23, and has firmly fixed thereon th-e crank arm 29 which is pivotally connected at 353 with the end of a link 3l which passes through an aperture in the bottom of the motor casing 22 and is pivotally anchored at 32 in a bracket or lug 33 xed to the wall of tank I0. The motor casing 22 may be covered with a drain board 34 to protect the parts enclosed therein. Protecting covers 35 and 36 may similarly be applied over the projecting ends of the rock shaft I 5 to enclose the journals and lever arm connections.

A heating coil 31 may be employed in the bottom of tank III.

The construction described places the load in tank I 0 in counterbalanced relation with the motor and its connected parts in the motor casing 22. Operation of the motor will cause the crank arm 29 to rotate at a suitably low R. P. M. as determined by the speed reduction gearing 21. Since this crank arm is pivotally anchored through the link SI to the xed point 32, the motor and its supporting members will oscillate about the center of rock shaft I5 and thereby oscillate the load-supporting rock arms I 4 to slowly raise and lower the basket I3. It will, of course, be understood that the basket I3 contains the parts to be cleaned, and is introduced into and removed from the tank IIl by any approved hoisting device.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the form, construction, material and arrangement of the apparatus without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention and hence I do not intend to be limited to det-ails herein shown or described except as they are recited in theclaim.

I claim:

Cleaning apparatus of the character described, comprising in combination a tank providing a reservoir for cleaning liquid, a rock shaft journalled thereon, a rock arm xed on said rock shaft to oscillate over the liquid reservoir in said tank, a dipping basket supported on said rock arm for carrying the pieces to be cleaned into and out of the liquid in said reservoir, a rock shaft actuating lever fixed on said rock shaft, a motor supported at least in part by said actuating lever in counterbalancing relation to the load lifted by said'. oscillating rock arm, a crank arm rotated by said motor, and a link pivotally connected to a ixed point and to the free end of said crank arm to cause said motor and its supporting rock shaft actuating lever to oscillateas thewinotorrotates.

MARCEL C. BOSS.

REFERENES CITED The following references are of record in the` le of this patenti Number Number Name Date A Sigler Mar. 6, 1906 Fethel'olf Oct. 27, Powers Oct. 6, 1914 Renisch Feb. 16, 1915 Haines Jan. 6, Preston July 25, FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Aug. 7, 1911 (Addition to No. 420,979) 

